The present invention relates to self-feeding devices for handicapped persons, and particularly to self-feeding devices that are capable of effectively picking up food off of the eating surface of a plate.
A self-feeding device of the foregoing type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,213 issued to the inventor of the present invention which is incorporated by reference. While the foregoing device represents a major improvement over the self-feeding devices of the prior art, it has some drawbacks.
In the self-feeder of the foregoing patent, a spoon holding and lifting mechanism automatically moves a spoon between a lower food receiving position located adjacent an eating surface of a plate containing a meal to be eaten and an upper eating position located adjacent the mouth of an operator of the self-feeding device. The operator controls the feeder by means of a chin switch. As the spoon is moved from the upper to the lower food receiving position, it is held at a nearly constant angle relative to the plate. At the lower food receiving position, the spoon rests on top of the eating surface of the plate and food is loaded on to the spoon by a pusher traversing the eating surface of the plate. Movement of the pusher is also controlled by the operator through use of the chin switch. The chin switch is also able to control rotation of the plate to regulate the type of food pushed on to the spoon.
The primary drawback of this self-feeder is that when the spoon is moved from the upper eating position to the lower food receiving position, it would sometimes come to rest on top of the food (and not the surface of the plate) thus preventing the pusher from effectively loading the spoon. This has limited the usefulness of the self-feeder for those with poor head control because they were unable to stop the plate at a time when a clear spot was beneath the spoon.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self-feeding device that will effectively load food onto the spoon even if food covers the area of the plate to which the spoon is descending.
Another object is to provide an apparatus which will reliably fill the spoon when used by persons with poor control of their head motion.
A further object is to provide an apparatus such that little concentration will be required from users who have good control of their head motion.
Still another object is to provide an apparatus which is of simple and economical construction, and inexpensive to manufacture and use.